CNN reportedly plans to move anchor Jim Acosta, who has frequently fact checked and challenged Donald Trump’s falsehoods, to a time slot with almost no viewers. As Status News reported, CNN’s CEO Mark Thompson proposed that “CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta” be moved from the 10 AM time slot to midnight.
“They want to get rid of Acosta to throw a bone to Trump,” a media executive told Status. “Midnight is not a serious offer when his ratings are among the best on the network.”
If CNN goes through with this plan, it will effectively sideline someone who has provided accurate reporting on the leader of the Republican Party.
Just a few days after his 2017 inauguration, Trump lied about losing the popular vote in the 2016 election to Hillary Clinton due to votes from undocumented immigrants. Acosta noted at the time that the allegation was “a falsehood, full stop.”
Leading up to the 2024 election, when Republicans—led by Trump—continued to push lies about “voter fraud” in the 2020 election, Acosta told the chair of the Georgia Republican Party “you’re just lying” when he repeated Trump’s claims about the race.
More recently, Trump claimed that the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans was connected to immigration, citing a false report from Fox News. In an on-air discussion with a Republican strategist who pushed Trump’s false claim, Acosta noted that the attack was “not connected” to immigration.
Trump has a long history of expressing contempt for Acosta, who was CNN’s White House correspondent for much of Trump’s first term, tasked with debunking Trump and his team.
In a 2018 exchange, Acosta asked Trump about his claim that a migrant caravan from Mexico was an “invasion,” noting that the characterization was false. Trump responded by calling Acosta a “rude, terrible person.”
YouTube Video
Trump supporters have echoed this hostility. During a 2018 Trump rally, a crowd surrounded the reporter and yelled at him. Trump later shared video of the incident on his social media account.
At the peak of the conflict between Acosta and Trump in 2018, the first Trump administration pulled the reporter’s media credentials and made up a false story alleging that he put his hands on an intern. A federal judge later ordered for Acosta’s pass to be restored.
Back then, CNN had Acosta’s back. But now, the network appears to be joining a chorus of corporate media—including the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times—who are bending to Trump’s will.
Trump has expressed continual contempt for factual reporting, and hiding those who tell the truth about him is unlikely to stop during his second term.
You can help ensure that Daily Kos remains the paywall-free home for our shared fight for democracy and justice. Daily Kos is supported by readers like you. Can you chip in today?
